THE LORRY which crashed on the Elland bypass this morning skidded on ice.

The driver slipped on the ice and struck a kerb at 5.51am before coming to a halt in the offside lane on the A629 heading down towards Halifax between Elland and Salterhebble.

The lorry's cargo, a chemical container, fell and ended up on the carriageway and is blocking most of both lanes.

Noone was hurt in the incident.

Police have now closed the road from Ainley Top to Elland Bridge.

A recovery operation is underway but it is expected that the road will remain closed until mid morning at the earliest.

The closure of the busy route has seen widespread traffic problems with Elland town centre suffering as well as other routes such as Halifax Road at Birchencliffe and problems around Rastrick meaning long delays for some motorists.